homestead – Blue Rock Station's Blog

045 – Creating a Non-Profit Homestead

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-uxr9q-1528e33

Many of us dream of chucking it all and moving out into the country, living the idyllic life on a small homestead. But then there is that nasty reality of having to make a living.

Well, one option is to set up your business and property and create a non-profit homestead – opening it up as a learning center for others who have the same dream.

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the realities of sustainable living, speaking today with Claire Orner, owner of Quiet Creek Herb Farm and School of Country Living – located in Brookville, PA

145 – High Tunnels

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-qge9k-13e461d

In case you hadn’t noticed, the climate is changing and plants are dying. How can homesteaders cope with extreme weather events and a changing ecology. Well, one way is to create an environment for their garden that they can control to a certain extent. This is where high tunnels come in.

A high tunnel, or hoop house is a greenhouse like structure where plants can be cultivated and raised under more controlled conditions.

Join Annie and Jay Warmke from Blue Rock Station for a discussion on their experience with high tunnels, building it, the grant process with the government, and plans for how they intend to use it in the future.

171 – Creatively Funding your Homestead

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-b6fdv-139ff80

Many of us dream of carving out a little homestead in the country – living off the land. But actually making a living this way can be quite difficult. Fortunately there are a lot of funding sources out there designed to help small farmers and homesteaders. But how can you tap into these funds?

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station in a discussion of what funds are out there and how best to successfully compete for this money.

64 – Early Homes of America (the Pioneers didn’t all live in log cabins)

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-7esqu-1227737

Early settlers of America found the most comfortable homes were often similar to those inhabited by the Native Americans who had survived in this climate for thousands of years.

Early residents of Philadelphia built cave homes along the Delaware River – but where forced to abandon them when William Penn decided they were not “British” enough.

Homes made of sod, grass, mud, and yes – even log cabins dotted the landscape. So what did the early pioneers build and why? And why did it all change?

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of dead white scientists and their continuing impact on the realities of sustainable living.

145 – High Tunnels

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-hk8xn-11b6b9d

A high tunnel, or hoop house is a greenhouse like structure where plants can be cultivated and raised under more controlled conditions.

144 – NRCS Grants & Programs

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-qtj7e-11b6b53

The NRCS, or Natural Resources Conservation Service, is an agency within the Department of Agriculture tasked with “Helping People Help the Land.”

They offer a number of grants and programs that are designed to help farmers preserve and protect the soil, water and other natural resources.

Join Annie and Jay Warmke from Blue Rock Station for a discussion with Laurie Ryan Griffin, SE Ohio District Conservationist for NRCS about the various programs her agency has available to farmers.

132 – Earthship Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-d3fr4-1119567

About 30 years ago, Annie and Jay Warmke decided to build an Earthship (a home made of tires, cans, bottles, mud and recycled materials) in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Over the years, nearly 40,000 people have visited and normally come loaded with dozens of questions.

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of some of the frequently asked questions about the good, the bad and the ugly of living in a house made of trash.

131 – Sustainable Utilities

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ys5cv-110336f

So you have decided to build your dream cabin out in the woods and sit out the Zombie Apocalypse. So how would you design your lifestyle so that the utilities you consume are reliable, safe and gentle on the planet?

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the various utility systems options for water harvesting, waste disposal, heating and cooling, electricity and even communications.

129 – Transitioning Your Life Towards Living Sustainably

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-289ka-10eb430

Nearly 30 years ago Annie and Jay Warmke quit their high-paying corporate jobs, sold their suburban home, and moved to the hills of Appalachia to build a home out of tires and mud. The goal was to live a carbon neutral – or even a negative carbon lifestyle.

Many of the over 35,000 people who have visited Blue Rock Station over the years have asked – “What made you do such a crazy thing? And how did you manage it?”

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of their experience moving towards a sustainable lifestyle and the lessons learned over 30 years of living in a house made of trash.

123- Creating a Forest Management Plan

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-g5bjb-1086dee

Many farmers and homeowners have a tract of woodlands on their property. But few know if this forest is healthy – or even what to look for in a healthy forest.

Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station are joined by Alex Kindler, a forest management expert for a discussion of the basics of proper forest management – and how a managed forest can not only be good for the planet – but profitable for those who temporarily control its destiny.